(On if today was the most work that he has done since his knee injury)
“Yeah, that’s the most work that I’ve done, which is great. [I’m] taking it one day at a time and just trying to get as many reps as I can. Today my knee has been feeling good and it’s good for me to get into team activities and get out there and start running with the team.”

(On how he is recovering and if he will play against Miami)
“It’s day-by-day. That’s how we’ve got to approach it. I feel real great today. There’s been no swelling, and hopefully tomorrow it’s even better than that. [We’re] progressing up to the game, so we’ll see. If I do play, that will be a call on that day, if I’m up or down. I think that’s the game plan and I think that’s how we’ve got to approach the situation.”

(On if he feels like he needs to play in the preseason)
“In the past, I didn’t play [in the preseason]. [During] my 36-day holdout with [the] Jets, one time, when we were on Hard Knocks, I did not play the whole training camp or even preseason. I’ve done it before and I think this time I have a little more knowledge on that deal, that situation, of going and playing the regular season, so I think I’ll be fine if that is the case.”

(On how important he feels that playing in the preseason is)
“I don’t know. I think the biggest thing is practice. Getting those reps in, getting your legs up under you, I think that’s the biggest thing. The game is the game. You’ve got to go out there and give it your all and just play. I have a lot of experience in that area, I’ve played in a lot of games. I think practice, you need that chemistry with your teammates and you just need to get your legs up under you.”

(On if it would be strange to play his first game as a Buccaneer on the field where he injured his knee)
“I’ve never thought about that, that’s a great question. You know what, if that’s the case then that [is] the case. I feel confident in my knee, so that’s how I have to approach it: just go out there and get my reps, if I do play against Miami.”

(On how important it is to stick to his rehabilitation plan)
“I think with this whole situation, we don’t want a setback. At the end of the day, everybody has an opinion, you’ve just got to approach it the right way, and I think that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re not trying to have a setback. We’ve got 16 games [this season] and I want to be out there all 16 and even in the postseason, so I think that’s the approach and that’s how we’ve got to look at the whole thing.”

(On how confident he would feel if he did not get any preseason playing time)
“Yeah, like I said, I’m a confident player and I’m an aggressive player. Once you’re out there, bullets are flying out there and you’ve just got to go play and do your job at the end of the day. Trust me, most of us in this locker room, we play hurt all the time. Some guys might be 80 percent one week, somebody might be 95 percent. That’s just how you play, you just play with toughness, you go out there and just play and do your job.”

(On taking another step in his rehabilitation process today)
“I think this was a huge step today. Just getting out there and running, getting my run fits, getting my calls. [It was] up-tempo type of stuff I was in there doing, so I think it was a huge step for me. It was a huge day for just being out there and moving around and not even having any problems. Nothing – no soreness at the end of practice, no swelling – so I think it’s a huge step for me.”

(On whether he typically experiences swelling and soreness after practice)
“No, not recently. Usually it will be one of those next-day type deals where there will be a little swelling the next day, but usually after practice there has not been, which is a big step.”

(On his participation in practice today)
“I did one-on-ones where I lined up against [wide receiver] Vincent [Jackson] today – twice, I did it twice – and I think [practice] was short a period today, but I went up against him twice and even in team period, I went up [against Jackson]. We did a lot of run today, run-team stuff, but, yeah, I was out there. There weren’t any problems. He was coming at me full speed like the big guy he is and I was out there just playing.”

(On the importance of contact during practice)
“I’ve been doing that a little bit with the one-on-ones on the side with some of the receivers. Like I said, football is simple. It’s basically like an alley fight. If someone pushes you, you push them back. It’s that type of deal. I’m a football player and that’s what we do. You have to go out there and compete and just play the role.”

(On when he feels he will play)
“We’re not trying to hide anything here with secrets or anything. It’s either I’m ready or I’m not ready. I think everyone has a good grasp of that, [General Manager] Mark [Dominik], Coach Schiano as well. When I’m ready to go, I’m ready to go full-tilt. Today they were kind of looking at me like, ‘Are you OK?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m out here, I’m ready to go.’ So, like I said, it’s a day-to-day thing. It’s all predicated on how I feel day-to-day.”

(On if he feels he is being treated too carefully)
“Just coming off this major knee injury, you have to be [cautious] a little bit, and that’s what we’re trying to do. Like I said earlier, we don’t want any setbacks. I want to be out there all 16 games to be able to compete and win games out there for this team.”

(On if he feels he will play in the regular-season opener on September 8)
“I’m confident. It’s day-to-day, but I’m confident. It’s still weeks away and we still have time. We still have time for my knee to even get better and better, so I think that’s just how we have to approach it and look at it.”